Amazon has been releasing a plethora of software updates for Kindles lately, and yet it’s been ages since they actually added any useful new features, but at least they’re fixing some of the bugs that they introduced with previous updates.
There’s now a software update available for the new 12th gen Kindle Paperwhite and the new basic Kindle for 2024. The new software version for both models is 5.17.1.0.2.
This is the first time the 12th gen Paperwhite has received an update, so now it’s officially listed on the Kindle software updates page at Amazon for the first time.
The Kindle Colorsoft still isn’t listed, as it hasn’t been updated yet. Mine is running software version 5.18.0.1 so it’s already ahead of all the other Kindles, but it’s the only new model not listed on the updates page yet.
The new 5.17.1.0.2 software doesn’t have any relevant release notes, but at least they got the month right for a change. Hopefully the annoying reverting custom font bug got fixed.
Some people on reddit are claiming the update makes the frontlight less yellow on the new Paperwhite, but like usual you can’t believe anything on reddit. I updated my 12th gen Paperwhite and the frontlight is exactly the same as before, which I’m glad for because I like the frontlight tone as it is. It’s funny because I was just comparing the new Kindle Colorsoft and the new Paperwhite to the Libra Colour, and the Libra Colour’s frontlight is much yellower than both, and yet you never hear anyone complaining about Kobo’s frontlights being too yellow.
You can download the new software for the new Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite from the Kindle Software Updates page at Amazon. Or you can just wait for the update to download and install automatically on its own at some point in the future.
The complaint is NOT the yellow tint of the screen, it’s the yellow STAINING at the bottom of the screen which is visibly different from the rest of the screen; even in dark mode.
That stain is unique to the Colorsoft. Not sure why you don’t know that.
A lot of people are complaining about the frontlight tone being yellower on the new Paperwhite than previous Paperwhites, and some Paperwhites have the yellow band as well so it’s not just the Colorsoft. Furthermore, the yellow band isn’t visible when the frontlight is off so it’s not a stain.